Should I fix it or sell it?

[Matt Allen]

I need some advice on a 2006 Camry XLE. The car has 142,000 miles, brand new tires, and battery and is well maintained by me. Recently it was diagnosed by a professional mechanic and my local Toyota dealer that the ABS control module is bad. The ABS, TRAC, VSC, and Brake lights are all on and my BlueDriver OBDII reader/app confirm the same.

My local mechanic said their shop doesn’t have the expertise or tools to properly replace the ABS control module and do the proper brake bleeding process. I spoke to another friend of mine that I use from time to time for car repairs when I don’t have the time or tools. He too said he also didn’t have the right tools or expertise to do a proper job.
I took the car to my local Toyota dealer and for $125 they told me the same problem diagnosis. The ABS control module is a $2,300 part and labor is another $600 to replace it. The car is only worth about $3,500.

I can get a used part at a junk yard for $75. The ABS Control module is actually pretty easy to replace. The challenge is getting the brakes bled and the ABS module properly calibrated, etc. If I replace the part myself, I could potentially pay for a flatbed to haul it to the local Toyota dealer and have them calibrate and bleed the system for a few hundred dollars.

I don’t feel it’s worth paying the dealer almost $3,000 for a car that I can only sell for $3,500. On the other hand, I don’t know that I can very easily sell it with this issue and if I could get someone to buy it, I would be hard pressed to find someone willing to pay much for it.

Do any of you have any experience with such an issue? If I replace the ABS module with one from a junk yard, is it really that much of an issue/challenge to bleed and calibrate the system? Do you think a Toyota dealer would do the calibration and bleeding if I replaced the part myself?

One point of clarification: on 2007 and newer Camry’s they have (4) 10mm hex bolts so it’s very easy to simply remove the control module from the solenoid assembly and thus you’d never have to worry about the brake fluid. Unfortunately with the 2003 – 2006 models, the module and solenoid assembly have to be replaced as a single unit. I actually purchased one from a junk yard but was unable to separate the ABS control module from the solenoid assembly. Virtually an impossible task.

I appreciate any comments, suggestions or additional questions.

Thanks!

Topic

[Billy]

First, find out what scan tool you’d need to finish the job yourself, and price that out. If that’s a non-starter, contact a local independent Toyota specialist and ask them their prices and advice for the options you’re considering.

[The Dro]

I have a similar issue with a van of mine and looking into it, it was more money than it was worth to fix at a mechanic shop as well. I looked into it some and it seems sometimes the modules go bad because there is a bad ground or maybe even a solder point that’s loose on the board. I haven’t ripped mine apart yet to check but maybe that’s somewhere you can start before spending the money on new parts or car. I did have an issue one day where I went to move my van and the brake lights and abs lights were no longer coming on and the breaks didn’t lock up like they normally do on a small move like that. I’m thinking my issue could possibly be intermittent but I wont know for sure until I take the time to diagnose it. I’ll follow this post in case I can get some answers as well.

[Vickie Harrison]

[quote=”relative4″ post=202629]First, find out what scan tool you’d need to finish the job yourself[/quote]

That’s what I would do or surely some other shops have scan tools with this capibility besides the dealer

Oh and I’d buy from a wrecking yard

[Author]

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